What is meant to be
by clove25
Summary: They are fire and ice molded together. One heart in two bodies. [Catelyn POV]


Arya is different. Unlike her elder sister, she doesn't want to be a lady. She plays with wooden swords, gets mud all over her dresses and scrunches up her nose whenever she wantes. She never listenes to a thing Catelyn says, always does the opposite. Ned has more of a hold on their daughter, but that is because he doesn't mind her getting dirty, much to Catelyn's disappointment.

Arya is eight when she cuts her hand with a real sword. She sneaks off to the grounds during her sewing lessons with Sansa and Septa Mordane. Catelyn looks as Arya bites her lip and tries to control her urge to cry. Catelyn bids her closer and puts her arms around her daughter's little body. Arya doesn't hug her back. Hugging was an act Arya doesn't indulge much in. When Catelyn asks her if it hurts much, she just scrunches up her nose and says it doesn't.

Just then she pulls herself away from her mother arms and runs to her behind. Catelyn turns and sees Arya put her arms tight around the boy's neck. The bastard.

Arya is different. She doesn't ignore Jon like her mother and Sansa does. They always stay close, running off together to play in the Godswood, taking the blame off each other if Ned was angry at them, sharing secret smiles, and saving the last piece of lemon cake for each other. Catelyn watches as Jon hugs his sister and kisses her forehead. He takes her hand and blows on the wound.

"Does it hurt too much?" He asks softly.

"Just a bit," she says, no more biting her lip. She then cries openly. Jon wipes her tears with his hands and takes her hand and walkes inside the castle.

"I'll bandage it, okay? It will heal soon," he says consoling her and Arya nods.

Catelyn hasn't seen Arya the entire day Jon was to leave for the Wall. As Benjen bids her, Ned and the children farewell, Jon comes out of the Godswood, Arya to his side. He has his arm around her shoulder, and both of them walk together. Catelyn sees the look on Arya's face. It is evident she has cried too much. Her eyes are puffy and red. Jon comes and hugs everyone, expect Catelyn and Sansa. And when he hugs Arya, she sees both of them holding on a little bit longer, his face buried in her neck. And as he rides away, Arya cries. For the first time in years infront of everyone, and Catelyn knows that the bastard has taken a part of her daughter along with him, a part Catelyn never had the chance to know.

She laughes again when Ned tells her the raven has bought a letter from Jon. It is for her. Catelyn watches as she jumps into her father's arms, and runs away with the letter to her room. The whole day Arya doesn't lose her smile.

The letters come and go. Catelyn tells Ned one day that her daughter shouldn't be allowed to send so many letters to the bastard. But Ned has a soft spot for Jon, and he declines her, saying that Arya's happiness is all he wants.

Arya is sixteen when Gendry Baratheon asks Ned for her hand in marriage. Knowing that Arya and the King's son were good friends, Catelyn instantly agrees. Even Ned doesn't decline, only telling Gendry that he will let him marry her if she agrees to the match. Catelyn thinks Arya won't mind marrying her best friend.

She is wrong.

As soon as she and Ned tell her about it, she rolls her eyes and refuses.

"Isn't he your friend?" Catelyn asks.

"Yes. That does not mean I love him."

"You grow to love him, Arya. Marriages work like that."

"No, I won't. I won't, ever," she says defiantly.

"He's a good lad, Arya," Ned says.

"I won't marry him! If you try to force me I'll run away!" She shouts.

"Arya!" Catelyn's eyes widen in shock.

"I will!" She says again.

"Oh and where will you run to? Volantis?" Catelyn asks sarcasticly.

"No... I'll go the Wall. I'll stay with Jon," she says, and runs out out of the room.

Ned shakes his head and smiles, but Catelyn doesn't find humor in her words. She regrets for the thousandth time that she had not forced her husband to stop those letters.

When Ned goes to war, Robb requests to go with him. He refuses, telling him it isn't a normal war. It is a war with the White Walkers and Ned won't risk his son's life. Robb persists, saying that Jon will be there too. But Ned only says that Jon is a man of the Night's Watch now, and he can't abandon his brothers.

Weeks pass, and Catelyn prays. She prays for her husband, her father, her brother, her uncle, and every man out there. She barely leaves the Seven and prays night and day.

One day she comes to see Arya kneeling before the Gods. Arya never prays, only occassionally goes to the Godswood with her father. She sees tears in her eyes and almost goes to console her when she hears her murmer,

"Please, please, keep him safe," Arya sobs.

Catelyn wonders who this 'he' is. She thinks Ned.

"He never went to war," Arya continues, "he is my other half. If he dies, I die. All I ask of you is to keep him safe. Him and Father, both. Please...,"

Catelyn turns and walks away. She doesn't need to wonder now. She knows it is Jon she prays for. _My other half._ And she knows there is nothing she can do about it now. There was nothing she could've ever done.

They were in love. Her daughter and the bastard.

They return. Through the cold she makes out a few dozen men. What makes her smile is her husband's face among those men. But her smile disappears as she watches the man beside him. She glances at Arya to her side. Her hands are clasped tightly together and she tries to breathe evenly.

Both the men get off their horses and walk forward. For the first time in her life, Catelyn forgets appropriateness and kisses Ned on the lips infront of everyone. No one says a thing.

Ned embraces his children and Catelyn sees tears on all of their faces. Jon walks to them and he hugs Robb, Bran and Rickon. He bows to Catelyn and even Sansa, who is there with her husband, kisses him on the cheek. But what catches Catelyn 's eye is the way Arya stays stuck to her place. And when Jon finally goes to her and caresses her face with his hand, she jumps into his arms and he twirls her around, both of them crying. Robb and the others smile and Catelyn too cannot help but feel a little grateful that her daughter's fears are put to rest.

Arya is different. She doesn't care about the whispers and the talks. Nor does Jon. But as soon as Catelyn feels people begin to notice, she goes to Ned and shares her fear. Ned looks at her sadly and says,

"They love each other, Cat."

Catelyn looks at her husband with wide eyes.

"They are lovers?" She gasps.

"Can you sit down, Cat? I need to tell you something." And Ned tells her something Catelyn has never imagined possible. Jon is Lyanna's son! Rhaegar Targaryen's son! Ned tells her Jon knows. Even Arya does.

"Doesn't he want to be legitimized?"

"He will be. Now that Robert is dead and Gendry is King. He does not hold a grudge for Targaryens like his father did."

Catelyn looks at them from a distance. Arya is sitting on his lap while he strokes her hair. The pair do not care the world is watching. They are too lost in their own happiness. Catelyn looks at Arya's face which lights up as Jon puts a light kiss on the tip of her nose. She nudges him with her elbow and both of them are laughing.

Now that she thinks about it, Catelyn feels that maybe what the people say were true. Maybe Arya was more Lyanna than even she herself realised.

Jon Targaryen and Arya Stark are wed in the Godswood. Catelyn looks as her daughter is brought by her father. She looks beautiful, a true Northern beauty. She is dressed in white, with a crown of blue winter roses on her head.

She looks at Jon and this time Catelyn truly understands the love they feel for each other. They are fire and ice molded together. One heart in two bodies.

When the ceremony ends, the newlyweds are approached by everyone. And this time Catelyn puts her arms around him and hugs Jon. She may not love him as she loves her other children, she may not be able to remove the hate she has in her heart for him entirely, but she would always be happy for them. For her daughter and her husband.

Catelyn sees Arya and Jon look at each other with love and realises that finally, the dragon and the wolf are one. And this time, no one can separate them.

A/N: Just something that wouldn't get out of my head for a while. I hope you liked it. Please review, it helps me to write.


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